


The Prince and The Servant - Behind The Rose

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Dreams, M/M, Merthur Party 2013, Pining Merlin, Team Red
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 18:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin has had a dream. And boy does he wish it was real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prince and The Servant - Behind The Rose

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Merthur Party 2013, this is prompt one.
> 
> Dedicated to f-adorable.tumblr.com 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy as this is my first published fanfiction!

Merlin wrapped his long, gangly arms around himself, and attempted to cradle himself to sleep. It had been a tiring day full of polishing armour, mucking out the stables and catering to Arthur’s every need, only for him to come home to a never-ending list of chores Gaius had so thoughtfully written out for him. And yet, long past midnight, Merlin lay on his bed, waiting exasperatedly for sleep to dominate and whisk him away.

It had taken a while, but sleep came nonetheless.

Merlin dreamt many dreams. All different they were; different scenarios and different emotions. One thing though, that Merlin couldn’t seem to shake off, was the fact that Arthur featured in every one. Whether it was a short and teasing glance from the corner, or actual dialogue – well the correct term would be banter, really – playing out; Arthur was there. Arthur was everywhere. Even in his dreams, Merlin thought, Arthur just had to be centre of it all.

Merlin dreamt of flamboyant colours, merging and separating in the most meticulous manner, creating sheer warmth within his scrawny body; both the one in the dream and the one sprawled atop his bed.

He dreamt of laughing irrepressibly with Gwen, of sharing an intimate meal with his beloved mentor Gaius, and of being with his darling mother back in Ealdor. None of these mentioned people though could awaken the emotions that leaked out of him the way Arthur did when he appeared out of the blue.

When Merlin awoke, there was one dream that rattled incessantly in Merlin’s mind, clawing at every one of Merlin’s thoughts, and jumping eagerly, somewhat like an infant.

It was of Arthur.

There was no Gwen or Gaius; there was no extra audience or third party in this dream. It was simply Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur was not prat-like or arrogant in this dream. It was purely the good Arthur that Merlin sometimes caught a glimpse of during his day.

_They didn’t speak at all._

_Arthur and Merlin were riding their horses out in the forest. Merlin looked around in all directions, absorbing the picturesqueness of it all. The trees were a vibrant green, and it complimented the illuminating emotions that Merlin felt rising in his chest._

_Merlin rode in sync with Arthur, and often glanced to his side where Arthur sat proudly on his horse, humming absent-mindedly. It took a while for Merlin to realise that Arthur was now no longer beside him._

_Merlin looked frantically around him, trying to see if he could spot the golden hair that he secretly loved. He spotted Arthur’s horse several yards away, but no sign of his prince._   
_Merlin spun his horse around, but before he could gallop closer to where Arthur’s horse rested on the ground, Arthur emerged from behind a bush. He looked straight at Merlin with an enticing smile and began to walk towards him, his arms tucked behind his back._

_Merlin could feel his eyebrows crease in confusion, but they quickly formed into an eyebrow raise as Arthur now stood in front of Merlin’s horse, looking up at him with a look in his eyes that Merlin couldn’t quite comprehend._

_Arthur freed one hand from behind his back. He waved something red in front of his own face, and Merlin’s breath caught once he realised what it was. Merlin stared in awe at the delicate flower with almost half the petals scrunched, presumably from Arthur’s lack of ability to hide something behind his back without spoiling it in some way. Merlin felt his mouth twitch, and allowed for a small smile to creep onto his lips._

_The rose was half-dead, but Merlin thought that nothing could be more beautiful. He was wrong though, for he was now looking away from the flower, and into the hauntingly blue eyes of the body that held it._

_Arthur had a shy smile plastered onto his face as he scanned Merlin from his gangly legs to his ruffled hair, looking for a sign that Merlin appreciated his little surprise._

_The rose was beautiful, Merlin had thought, but there was nothing more beautiful than the beauty behind the rose._

Gauis’ knock on the door pulled Merlin out of his reverie. Merlin sighed as he dragged himself out of bed.

“I’m up!” Merlin called, and he listened for Gaius’ fading footsteps before he slumped into a sitting position on the floor. It was times like this when Merlin wished he was a seer. But Merlin knew that even if he were a seer, his dream would never be real, for Arthur was the crowned prince, and Merlin was simply a servant.


End file.
